Mission Monthly – September 1997

“In modern Christian writings, though I see much (indeed more than I like) about Mammon, I see few of the old warnings about Worldly Vanities, the Choice of Friends, and the Value of Time. All that, your patient would probably classify as “Puritanism”—and may I remark in passing that the value we have given to that word is one of the really solid triumphs of the last hundred years? By it we rescue annually thousands of humans from temperance, chastity, and sobriety of life.”

C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

Author C. S. Lewis took much heat for the writing of his Screwtape Letters, both from without and within. He commented in his introduction, “Though I had never written anything more easily, I never wrote with less enjoyment… Though it was easy to twist one’s mind into the diabolical attitude, it was not fun… The strain produced a sort of spiritual cramp… Every trace of beauty, freshness, and geniality had to be excluded. It almost smothered me before I was done.” A periodical which published The Screwtape Letters lost a country clergyman subscriber on the ground that “much of the advice given in these letters seemed to him not only erroneous but positively diabolical.” This book is both a triumph and a challenge, and like so many of C. S. Lewis’ publications we applaud his effort to reveal to his readers a deeper awareness (in this instance of the devices used by Satan to enslave God’s holy creatures) of the joyous struggle in our life in Christ.

Truly, as Orthodox Christians, we have to ask ourselves, “What has happened to modern Christianity?” If we are now living in the “post-Christian” era it is not the world we have to blame, it is ourselves. If we are a Christian nation it must have taken many Christians to escort in the advent of the revolutions of science, sex and personal success. It is a difficult admission but like our neighbor, our co-worker, and the man on the street we too have fully enjoyed and entertained the personal freedom that our society has provided (some more than others.)

I studied business in college (I know, some of you are asking yourselves, “Why?”). Unfortunately I discovered too late that my temperament is not cut out for the business world (or maybe this was a blessing in disguise). My conscience began to speak to me towards the end of my studies as the ideas of “profit motive” and “human resource management” were pounded into my head, while the ideas of ethics and morality were only to be found in some old book, somewhere on a dusty shelf. I do not bemoan the aspects of business which lead a man to hard work and to the betterment of his family and society, but somewhere in the midst of becoming the wealthiest nation in the history of the world we have become haunted by the abuse of personal freedom. I have never heard it said better than by Mother Theresa of Calcutta: “I have seen no greater poverty than the spiritual poverty of America.”

I do not know much about the Puritans but I do believe it to be a tragedy that their name has become negatively synonymous with some of the best teachings of the Christian Faith. Why? Because it is a name associated with the “outmoded” ideas of faith, sin, moral discipline, self-restraint, chastity, charity, honesty, accountability, modesty, respect, obedience, thrift, responsibility, sobriety, community, enterprise.

One can never really know what the future holds. There is much to be hopeful for, for our lives and for the lives of our children. But decisions have to be made, stands have to be taken, convictions have to be followed and our faith has to be uncompromising. Our struggle will never go away, in fact it will probably intensify. I recently saw an ad on T.V. for a new show airing this fall, staring former Playboy model and very popular sex symbol, Jenny McCarthy. The ad was merely a visual and spoken quote by the philosopher, Socrates, followed by a one word commentary, “‘The unexamined life is not worth living.’… whatever.” Parents beware! This world would trash everything we value and teach our children that there is no right or wrong, only what THEY feel. It is my hope that one day we will recognize the sin and cause of our surrendered authority and reclaim that which has been lost to the plagues of pride-filled freedom and blind indifference.

C.S. Lewis was right, the devil is rescuing thousands of humans every year from “temperance, chastity and sobriety of life.” May we be saved from this rescue and may God grant us the wisdom and courage necessary to face the demonic challenges of our day. We stand assured in the presence of His Kingdom and we stand together as His Body, the Church, against which the gates of hell shall not prevail.